By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday August 29, 2012
New Federal riding for Hamilton?
Hamilton is set to receive a new seat in the House of Commons in time for the next federal election.
A commission tasked with reviewing Ontario’s federal ridings has recommended a new, U-shaped riding called Waterdown Glanbrook that stretches along Hamilton’s outer edge. The proposed district is made up of rural land that’s now part of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale and Niagara West–Glanbrook.
The new riding is one of 15 new electoral districts in Ontario proposed by the commission. The report, released Monday, still faces a public commenting period and review by a parliamentary committee.
If the Waterdown–Glanbrook riding is approved, political science professor Henry Jacek says it will likely go to the Conservatives, given its largely rural population.
However, Jacek also argues that the proposal to whittle down Ancanster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale to only Ancaster and left-leaning Westdale and Dundas could make for an interesting race come the 2015 federal election.
“It will be much more competitive than Ancaster is right now,” Jacek said.
David Sweet, MP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, could not be reached for comment.
Justice George Valin, who chaired the commission reviewing Ontario’s ridings, said the suggestion to create the new riding arose out of a formula that requires the population of each electoral district to come as close as possible to 111,166 people. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)